United States › Missouri › Perry County COUNTY
Perry County Missouri · 19,093 residents (2025 est.) · 474 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Perry County is home to 18,976 people in Missouri. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. 2% of people here were born outside the United States. Owners hold 77% of the housing stock. The typical home is worth $188,200, having more than doubled since 2000. The median age is 42.2, about 3 years above the US median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 18,132 in 2000
19,093 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 39 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.8 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K 17K 18K 19K 19K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Perry County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $62,981
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,632 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $16,554 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 9.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.395 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 6%
Professional, scientific, technical 5%
Public administration 3.7%
Transportation & warehousing 2.8%
Education & health services 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$188,200
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $80,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$923
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $422 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 80.1% in 2000
23.5% rent
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 28.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.5 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 97.8%(17,739)
Hispanic / Latino 0.5%(93)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 93.4%(17,731)
Hispanic / Latino 2.5%(467)
from 8 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 26 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 16 more ancestry groups with data from 9.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 71.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 81.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 4.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 65.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 21.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 72.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 84.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.9% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 33.3%(2,559)
Women 15+
Never married 24.1%(1,912)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 62.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 15.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 13.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 75.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 32.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 31%(362)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.4%(261)
Share of the 1,167 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Perry County Head to head
Compare Perry County to nearby counties PERRY COUNTY VS
Ste. Genevieve County
Income $66,339 +5%
Home value $222,200 +18%
Population 18,689 −2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Cape Girardeau County
Income $68,464 +9%
Home value $220,700 +17%
Population 83,999 +340%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Jackson County
Income $48,763 −23%
Home value $137,300 −27%
Population 52,501 +175%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PERRY COUNTY VS
Randolph County
Income $68,131 +8%
Home value $135,100 −28%
Population 29,921 +57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Perry County, Missouri? Perry County, Missouri has about 18,976 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Perry County, Missouri? The typical household in Perry County, Missouri earns about $62,981 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Perry County, Missouri expensive? In Perry County, Missouri, the median home is worth about $188,200, and the typical rent is about $923 a month.
How educated are people in Perry County, Missouri? About 20.9% of adults age 25 and over in Perry County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Perry County, Missouri? About 13.9% of people in Perry County, Missouri live below the federal poverty line.
Has Perry County, Missouri grown since 1990? Yes, Perry County, Missouri has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,328 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.
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